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© Veronica Getskow, 2012

www.lifeasmom.com

Cover design by Joy A. Miller of FiveJ’s Design.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form without the express written permission of the

author and publisher.

As the purchaser of this ebook, you may make copies of this book and its

printable pages for your personal use. All other reproduction is strictly

prohibited and protected under copyright law.

To make a bulk purchase, please write to jessica@lifeasmom.com.

This document does contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase

through one of the Amazon links included in this document, the authors

earn a small percentage of the sale.

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Table of contents

Foreword ............................................................................................................ 6

Introduction ....................................................................................................... 7

How to Use This Book ........................................................................................ 8

At Home Summer Reading Program ............................................................ 9

Finding Your Weekly Reading Time ............................................................. 10

Handy List of Craft Supplies for Children .................................................... 11

50 Books to Enjoy with Kids ............................................................................ 14

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day ........ 15

Are You My Mother? .................................................................................. 17

Blueberries for Sal ....................................................................................... 19

Bread and Jam for Frances...................................................................... 21

The Carrot Seed ......................................................................................... 23

A Chair for My Mother ............................................................................... 25

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom..................................................................... 27

Chicken Soup with Rice ............................................................................ 29

Clifford the Big Red Dog ........................................................................... 31

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs ...................................................... 33

Color Dance ............................................................................................... 35

The Five Chinese Brothers ......................................................................... 37

Five Minutes’ Peace .................................................................................. 38

Frederick ...................................................................................................... 40

Frog and Toad Are Friends ....................................................................... 42

Goldilocks and the Three Bears ............................................................... 44

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Foreword

We and our siblings lived a charmed life. Oh, it was far from perfect. The

house was often messy; dinners were chaotic; we fought with each other

as families are apt to do.

But, we had a mom who loved young children. She had made the

nurture of young children her life’s work – and we got to be her guinea

pigs. From homemade play dough to mud pies in the backyard, our

growing up years were full of enrichment activities, adventure stories, and

forts made of pink blankets in the den.

Our mom loved great children’s literature and imaginative play, and she

encouraged us to read and imagine. This book is born out of that

experience. Here she offers up 50 books as well as a selection of

enrichment activities to enjoy with your peeps. The activities are here for

the taking to make wonderful memories with your young children, aged

two to ten.

May your children live the same kind of charmed life that our mom gave

us.

Jessica Getskow Fisher and Janel Getskow Piersma

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Introduction

“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally –

and often far more – worth reading at the age of fifty and beyond.” – CS Lewis

The world is full of many great books. As CS Lewis stated, a good book

stands not only the test of time, but can be enjoyable to the young and

old alike.

Sharing a story together is like experiencing life and adventure together.

When I read with my children, we’re going on a journey together.

My six children range in age from three to fourteen. When my eldest was

just a little guy, I begged my mother to write this book. Neither one of us

knew it at the time, but that’s basically what I was asking for.

“I want a list of books that we can read and then some fun stuff to do

afterward. You know, like in preschool. But not.”

Having spent years training early childhood educators, Mom was a little

surprised by my simple request. I wanted to take that experience and

apply it to the home environment. At the time, there were plenty of

resources for the institutional setting, but very few for the family circle.

This is the book I wish I had had a dozen years ago, to which I say, “Better

late than never.”

— Jessica Fisher

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How to Use This Book

With the vast wealth of great books to enjoy with young children, it had

to be narrowed down. In this volume, Veronica, aka Mom, aka Nanna,

has culled fifty top books that every young child should experience. They

are full of adventure, exploration, and a discussion of the world around

us.

Accompanying each book’s basic information are links to the World Cat

Library so that you can easily find the book in your local library. An

Amazon link is also provided if you wish to purchase the book to add to

your personal collection. (Please be advised that this is an affiliate link,

meaning we receive a small percentage of that Amazon purchase. If

you prefer not to use this link, you can simply search for the book in

Amazon’s directory or find it at your favorite bookstore.)

With each title description in this book are activities that you can do with

your children. Do one or do them all. It’s completely up to you. Cuddling

on the couch reading a stack of books is a fabulous experience to share

in and of itself.

But, if you’d like to continue the book’s experience, try one or more of

these extension activities. Feel free to use these ideas as a springboard

for exploring the story through ideas and activities of your own making.

Apply the lessons or messages in each story to how it’s lived out in your

family and in your community.

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Are You My Mother?

By P.D. Eastman

A little bird goes in search of his mother and asks each animal or object

the same question, “Are You My Mother?”

Activity Ideas

Discuss other things that hatch from eggs.

Make hard cooked eggs as a snack. Decorate them if you wish.

Go bird watching in your neighborhood or backyard. Count the

number of different birds that you see.

Talk about the relationship between a baby bird and its mother. Now

discuss the many ways in which you care for your child’s physical

needs: feeding, diapering, etc. Indicate that when your child has

children, she will provide for their needs as well.

Give your child a long sheet of white shelf paper or a continuous sheet

of computer paper. Using crayons or marker, help your child recreate

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the story – beginning, middle and end. Have your child retell the story

using the mural and a small cut-out replica of a baby bird to move

along to each object found within the story.

Ask your child to draw a picture of the two of you together. Take a

photo of the two of you with the child holding the picture.

Every child enjoys hearing about her arrival into the world. Recount to

your child the story of that special day and show pictures or any

artifacts that you have saved.

Find this book at Amazon or at your local library.

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Blueberries for Sal

by Robert McCloskey

Caldecott Honor Award, 1949

This delightful book shows two moms and their children picking

blueberries on Blueberry Hill. Sally and her mom are picking berries on

one side of the hill while a mother bear and her cub roam the other side,

eating berries.

Activity Ideas

Locate three things in each room that are blue. Then find something

that is light blue and another item, dark blue. Talk about the shades of

blue.

Blueberries are usually in season from late May through August. If

possible, go blueberry picking.

Eat fresh blueberries for a healthy snack. Try dropping them into a

metal pail or bowl to hear the “kerplinks.”

Have your child help you make blueberry muffins or pancakes. Try

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these recipes --Blueberry Nutmeg Muffins and Multi-Grain Blueberry

Pancakes.

Cut 25 small blue dots out of cardboard. Hide the “berries” around

the room. Give your child a tin pail to go berry picking. Count the

berries as they are dropped into the pail.

Create a new song – Here We Go Round the Blueberry Bush – from the

tune to Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.

Find this book at Amazon or at your local library.

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Bread and Jam for Frances

by Russell Hoban

Frances is picky about what she eats, but she loves bread and jam. After

Frances repeatedly refuses to eat the meals that Mother makes for her,

Mother comes up with a plan to encourage Frances to try other foods.

Activity Ideas

Make a list of your child’s favorite foods as well as lists of foods that he

wants to try and foods that he is hesitant to try. Discuss what you like,

dislike, or fear about the foods on the lists. Make a plan to include one

from each list in your meals in the upcoming week.

Serve a breakfast of bread and jam.

Create a paper place setting from construction paper. Include

placemat, plate, napkin, fork, knife, and spoon cut-outs as well as

cutouts of different foods. You can cut the food pictures out of

magazines or draw your own. Take turns creating a dinner menu and

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talk about what you both like or dislike about the menu.

Frances loves to sing songs. Create a song together about your child’s

favorite foods. If you’ve got a jump rope, you can jump and chant at

the same time.

Spend some time playing in your child’s play kitchen. Allow him to

cook for you and ask questions about the different dishes he has

prepared. Model good eating habits and table manners.

Find this book at Amazon or at your local library.

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My Reading Log Bookcases

When you finish reading a book, color that book on your bookshelf.

Try to read all 50 books on both bookcases!

Alexander

and the

Terrible,

Horrible, No

Good, Very

Bad Day

Are You

My Mother? Blueberries

for Sal

The Carrot

Seed

Bread and

Jam for

Frances

A Chair for

My Mother

Chicka

Chicka

Boom Boom

Chicken

Soup with

Rice

Cloudy

with A

Chance of

Meatballs

Clifford the

Big Red

Dog

Color

Dance

The Five

Chinese

Brothers

Five

Minutes’

Peace

Frog and

Toad Are

Friends

Frederick

Goldilocks

and The

Three Bears

Grandfather

Twilight Gregory,

the Terrible

Eater

Horton

Hatches the

Egg

Harold and

the Purple

Crayon

How Are You

Peeling?

I Like Me If You Give

A Mouse A

Cookie

Ira Sleeps

Over

In the Small,

Small Pond

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About the Authors

Veronica Getskow, PhD.

Born and raised in the Mid-West, Veronica has been

an educator in Southern California for over 40 years.

With practical hands on experience, she has taught

students of all ages from preschool to university level

and has raised five children. Veronica has written two

books: Kids with Special Needs and Incredible, Edible Geography. Both

serve as handbooks to parents and teachers. She can be found online at

drgetskow.com.

Jessica Fisher

Jessica, aka Fishmama, is a wife, mom, teacher,

homemaker, cook, and writer. She writes about real

life — for parenting publications, SimpleHomeschool

and Life as MOM. She writes about good food at

Food Your Way and Good Cheap Eats. She is also the author of

Organizing Life as Mom, The Summer Survival Guide and Not Your

Mother’s Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook ( Harvard Common Press,

November 2012).

Janel Piersma

Janel is a wife, mom, virtual assistant and writer. She

blogs at LifewithLandE.com and is a contributor at

Life as MOM and DIY Your Way.

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